In December of 2017, Dr Necmi Biyikli of the University of Connecticut received a new hollow cathode plasma source for his Okyay Tech thermal ALD. The source has it’s own sample entry port, and ellipsometer ports. Additionally, this is one of Meaglow’s new large area sources, capable of very high electron density of 10^13 cm^-3 over the full deposition area. The system has been working well!

Of course hidden away in someone’s lab, somewhere, there might be something comparable, but that wouldn’t be ‘available’. Certainly there’s nothing else like this that we’re aware of. So let’s have a look at what makes Meaglow’s latest hollow cathode design so special.

The plasma source shown was developed for the conversion of OkyayTech’s thermal ALD systems. This model is for 4″ wafers, it has a separate loading port for samples; doesn’t need cooling water, and it really doesn’t care about getting deposits on the cathode.

Using nitrogen gas we’ve measured the electron density to greater than 10^13 cm^-3 at 300 watts of RF power. That’s a formidable value for any plasma source, about an order of magnitude higher than other commonly available 300 watt products, but here’s the thing, that plasma density is being generated over an area equal to the substrate.

Other solutions generate high density plasma in a small volume and then disperse it to a larger area. Not so the new Meaglow source, it has an extremely high plasma density over the full substrate area. This design has already been successfully implemented in 4″ and 8″ systems, and there are plans to go to 12″.

“This is the way that ALD should be done,” says Meaglow’s Chief Scientist, Dr Scott Butcher. “We’re developing plasma sources specifically for ALD, not trying to adapt old legacy sources that are less than optimum for the technique.”

Many of our hollow cathode customers had started asking: ‘What’s the best new system to buy if I want to convert to hollow cathode?’ But recently a past customer came and asked us to build a full ALD/ALE system for him. The system was commissioned in June and July and is for 8″ wafers. It is UHV compatible and includes an 8″ diameter hollow cathode source, compatible with chlorine plasma operation.

Meaglow has begun building a second smaller 4″ system, though this one will see a substantial increase in plasma power. Meaglow has published and has patent applications for methods that could allow some real leaps forward in ALD and other plasma technology.

Meaglow will have table 28 of the exhibits. We are extremely pleased that representatives of our Korean agency, Paultec, will also be present, including Mr. Dong-Hyun Kim. A series 50 plasma source, one of our most popular sources, will be brought to the exhibition. Come and talk to us about reducing oxygen levels in nitride films. We hope to see you in Dublin on the 24th-27th of July.

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have converted one of their ALD systems to a custom made Meaglow hollow cathode plasma source. This is an 8″ diametre plasma source, one of our biggest in recent years. The source was delivered early this year and has apparently been running extremely well. Results may be presented later this year.

Meaglow will be in attendance at ALD 2015 in Portland, Oregon taking place between June 28th and July 1st at the Portland Hilton. Come and ask us about our Hollow Cathode Plasma Source, we are in Booth #49

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO–(April 21, 2015) – ALD NanoSolutions and Meaglow are pleased to announce an exclusive partnership for the development and marketing of hollow cathode plasma sources uniquely suited for atomic layer deposition onto particles. An ALD NanoSolutions particle reactor combined with a Meaglow plasma source allows newly developed plasma ALD chemistries to be performed onto particles in appreciable quantities. This expanded capability enables development of new materials and their eventual commercialization.